Champions League: When Maxi Lopez took off, brilliant blond locks flailing out from under his hairband and hands tucked under his armpits impersonating a chicken, Chelsea fans could be forgiven for wondering who the hell he was. After all, even Barcelona's supporters, leaping deliriously into the air, were asking themselves much the same thing.
The Argentinian striker, nicknamed The German in Buenos Aires because of his golden mane, had been on the pitch only three minutes and already done what no one had managed in over 15 Premiership hours - he had beaten Petr Cech. Soon afterwards he provided the assist for Samuel Eto'o to make it 2-1, even if it was more mis-hit shot than pinpoint pass.
Making his debut in the tournament, Maximiliano Gaston Lopez had made arguably the most significant impact on a Champions League game all season, and yet few knew much about him. Before he joined Barcelona, Lopez had scored only 16 goals for River Plate since making his debut as a 17-year-old, becoming the club's second youngest goalscorer.
Lopez was on the verge of joining Benfica when Frank Rijkaard's brother intervened, recommending him to Barcelona's coach. Like the former Villarreal striker Martin Palermo, Valencia's Pablo Aimar and two other Argentinians who joined Barcelona only to depart on loan, Javier Saviola and Juan Roman Riquelme, Lopez was on his way to Spain. The price: £4 million. It is not long since Southampton could have picked him up for £300,000. In Catalonia few were impressed. Critics wondered about signing another Argentinian who might struggle to settle and asked why Barcelona had let Saviola go to Monaco on loan only to buy the player who tried and failed to fill his number seven shirt at River.
The answer is style and circumstance. Barcelona wanted a stopgap, even contemplating Gabriel Batistuta, or a young player they could mould. Lopez is still only 20; he is quiet, timid even, but determined and mature, almost over-serious. His determination overcame his limited ability with the ball. So, too, has his size.
Barcelona are a team of Lilliputians; if Xavi, Deco and Ludovic Giuly balanced on one another's shoulders they still wouldn't have a presence in the penalty area. And Eto'o and Ronaldinho do not muscle their way through games. The January transfer window arrived and a striker topped the list. Rijkaard wanted a player who could offer something different and shake defences. At 6ft 2in and powerful, Lopez certainly did that in the first leg. "The manager asked me to give us mobility, get between Carvalho and Terry and break them up," he said. It worked.
Lopez has already made more of an impact in Europe than he ever did in Argentina; repeat the trick tonight and his hero status will be unshakable.
Guardian Service
